The players are invited to a Winter Gala in Waterdeep. After a guest is killed, investigations ensue to the fiendish nature of the home that the gala took place in. There are shopping opportunities on the way in.

Bracing for a terrible winter, the adventurers find themselves snow-locked in the desolate Archbarony of Blackmoor. Will they venture into the treacherous Land of Black Ice to rescue an enslaved people? Be sure to check out the sequel "The Clockwork Fortress" in Dungeon magazine #126. Pgs. 16-35

The Hag's Hexes is a 66 page guide designed by Dungeon Masters Guild luminaries like JVC Parry and Janek Sielicki alongside rising stars and old stalwarts like Matt Butler, Matthew Gravelyn, and Tim Bannock. It was created with one thing in mind: to make hags more than the sum of their (often meager) Challenge ratings, giving them the mechanics, roleplay potential, and weird magic that can inspire campaigns, lay low kings and warlords, and potentially ensnare unwary Player Characters into campaign-changing curses or long-term bargains that force them into terrible moral quandaries! Split into five chapters, the authors have provided everything a DM needs to terrify their players for years to come. The Bestiary features over a dozen monsters; some are new hags, some are their minions or even their mobile lairs, and one of them -- the Shaitan AKA Desert Hag -- was featured in Monsters of the Guild! Bargains & Curses is a chapter filled with ideas that can kick-start campaigns, threaten valued NPCs, or put Player Characters' very existence and morality at stake. Chapter 3 includes two dozen items of wonderment, weirdness, and dread, ranging from fairy tale-inspired items of whimsy to terribly cursed items of horror. Chapter 4 is titled "Filthy, Vile & Downright Dirty" and provides dozens of roleplaying tips to make hags come alive, new mechanics inspired by and expanding on Volo's Guide to Monsters (coven spell lists, aunties, grandmothers, alternative coven members), and ends with useful combat tactics for each of the hags from the Monster Manual and Volo's Guide, as well as tactics for covens. Finally, Chapter 5 presents five encounter groups (with sub-encounters) to give you quick story seeds and monster lists that you can put together in minutes to create a single encounter or to inspire a full campaign, and ends with three full-length adventures -- each with 3-5 encounters -- that showcase many of the new monsters, rules, magic items, and so on that appeared in earlier chapters. Each of these adventures comes with an encounter map meant to act as inspiration for hag lairs, and they include useful mechanical ideas for terrain effects and descriptive keywords listed directly on the map for added inspiration and easy customization! Designed by Tim Bannock. Written by Matt Butler, JVC Parry, Janek Sielicki, and Tim Bannock. Edited by Matthew Gravelyn and Tim Bannock. Cover Art by Elena Naylor. Cartography by Tim Bannock using Inkwell Ideas' Dungeonographer (Dungeonographer is copyright Inkwell Ideas). Layout & Graphic Elements by Elena Naylor with Tim Bannock. Interior Art by Arcana Games, Bruno Balixa, David Lewis Johnson, Dean Spencer, Earl Geier, Filip Gutowski, Jacob E. Blackmon, Joyce Maureira, Petr Kratochvil, Jayaraj Paul, Brian Brinlee, and Wizards of the Coast.

Centuries ago, the four deities worshipped by mortals – Kishar, Kotaresh, Lyth, and Asar-Segt – threatened to drown the world in a flood of saltwater to punish the living for their impiety. The oracles and witches of the realm struck a desperate bargain with the gods, however, and convinced them to spare the world. In exchange, the mortal kingdoms were bound to demonstrate their faith once every generation by sending their most courageous and adroit warriors to the Crucible, a ziggurat in the lowest valley of the land. Every quarter-century, on the first full moon of summer, an eclipse darkens the night and the sealed ziggurat opens. Many traps, tricks, and guardians lie within the Crucible to test those who enter. Few who heed the challenge of the gods survive – most find only quick death. If the races of the world are deserving of the gods’ affection, their champions will overcome the trials of the Crucible and light the Divine Brazier hidden in its uppermost chamber. If they are not, the flickering candle of civilization will be snuffed. Little of value will have been lost. Published by Defy Danger and Save Versus Death

A famous relic hunter seeks adventurers to help her find caches of treasure hidden by the now-defeated followers of the Cult of the Dragon. Her maps and notes may lead the way to great wealth—or a terrible death. And do other parties have designs on the treasure as well?

Kingdom of the Blind is a short adventure for four 8th-level characters. The adventure is set in a minor duchy that is fairly removed from the ruler of the land. As a result, trouble can brew in the land and the king would not know immediately. About three years ago, a medusa, Zhanna Serpentlock, began systematically turning every person in Duke Jellhyn Fedorel's (N male human Ari5) duchy to stone. After losing many peasants to the medusa, Jellhyn attempted to placate her. He offered her his second son, Dephyl, for a husband. Duke Jellhyn and his family had always been rather tense and uncomfortable around Dephyl anyway due to the fact that Dephyl had lost an eye in a freak magical explosion as a boy. Zhanna accepted the marriage, and though Dephyl didn't really care for his family due to how they treated him, he was also less than happy with the arrangement. A year ago, Zhanna appeared at Fedorel's citadel again. She claimed that Dephyl had been untrue and that she had turned him to stone for his adultery. Throwing Dephyl's stone head down in the courtyard of the citadel, she swore vengeance on all Fedorels for his betrayal. Duke Fedorel and his household fled the citadel. Rather than give chase, Zhanna took up residence there and began ruling the duchy as the sole remaining Fedorel family member. Jellhyn and his family have lived in exile for a year. This is what the PCs can learn, but more is going on. As it turns out, Dephyl is alive and quite happy with his marriage. Zhanna is not repulsed by his disfigurement as his family was, and Dephyl's missing eye is something of an asset in the relationship since it lessens his chance of being accidentally petrified by his wife. In the two years of his marriage, he has grown up and gained ambition -- he wants to rule. As a second son (pawned off on a monster), he would never have received the chance. Now, with Zhanna's help, he can rule. However, Dephyl doesn't have the stomach for killing his father and brother. Instead, he and Zhanna plotted to take over the duchy by frightening everyone away. Zhanna carved a stone bust of Dephyl and used it to frighten off the rest of his family. Now Dephyl and Zhanna live happily in the citadel and rule the duchy together, though Dephyl's existence among the living is a secret.

The crown of the kobold king will be anointed in blood. Five children from the town of Falcon’s Hollow have gone missing, dragged off into ruins underneath a cursed dwarven monastery. Soon they will be sacrificed to the crown, all to the glory of the twisted King of the Kobolds. If they are to be saved from this gruesome fate, brave heroes must follow their trail to the monastery and plumb the depths of its trap-laden and monster-infested halls.

While strolling through the streets of Kak you notice a pair of men laying in the alley. Upon closer inspection you notice that one of the dead men has a unique tattoo. Peering closer you notice that this man, dressed as a pirate, has a tattoo of an island with an “x” on it! Once this tattoo is discovered the PCs will need to locate a ship to head off on a treasure hunt. Finding a ship captain that is familiar with Xodus Isle will not be difficult but trusting the captain…well that’s a different story entirely.

Beneath the blood moon, a dark monastery appears for one night atop a high plateau. Inside its walls, the mighty black lotus flower reaches its full bloom. Can the characters steal inside the monastery, defeat its sorcerous guardians, and claim the blossom before the sun rises? Monastery of the Shadow Sorcerers is a fiendish sword-and-sorcery adventure and includes: -An extra-planar monastery brooding beneath the blood moon -Sorcerer-monks who move like smoke and strike with fire and blade -Combat cards for each monster, PC, and special treasure -High-quality digital maps for use with virtual table tops

Wherein a solid plan to ransom captured wands turns sour for three friends and their employees, and a local luminary loses his tongue.

Picking up where Chapter 33: Adventures in the Ptolus book leaves off, the adventures in The Night of Dissolution cover an arc that pits player characters against the darkest foes the city of Ptolus has ever faced. Following the threads of a hidden conspiracy, the characters find themselves up against insane cultists, wild chaos magic, and horrors from the primordial days of the world. This adventure book is laced with urban intrigue, high action, and even some dungeon exploration. Some highlights include: A description of Pythoness House, a haunted oracle/brothel that hides a trove of weapons vital in the fight against the Cults of Chaos. A huge secret temple of chaos where insidious fanatics worship the dreaded Galchutt. Details of a city-wide network of covert spies and agents that extends even into the highest echelons of Ptolus’ elite society. These adventures culminate in the player characters’ attempt to stave off the Night of Dissolution, a dark time long foretold when the slumbering Galchutt will awaken in their hidden lairs deep below the city—and bring catastrophe and woe to the world. Published by Malhavoc Press

Adventurers explore a frozen, buried dungeon of long-dead giants that turns out to be the birthplace of Runemagic itself, and may still hold the secrets of that forgotten art. However, even if they do survive the extreme cold and unfriendly denizens, they will still have to face the massive Runeforged Guardian before they can escape. This adventure includes lots of interesting multi-part traps and alternate encounters that can be added or swapped out in several places.

Lorena Appleton, the youngest daughter of the youngest son of the heir to the Appleton estates, went missing several weeks ago and returned with a mysterious illness. Her parents spent their vast fortune pleading to all doctors and clerics passing through their town of Braeburn, desperate to find a cure for their daughter. Several healers have said that they couldn’t cure her without knowing what caused the ailment, but Lorena hasn’t said a word since she fell ill. The story piqued the interest of Syvil Loganberry, an elderly Halfling Cleric from the nearby city of Brackenshire. But the roads between Brackenshire and Braeburn have become wild in the last century, and all manners of forest creatures have turned vicious against those who dare brave the roads. The upcoming harvest festival in Braeburn has increased security along the roads, but Syvil grew old by being careful and has hired your band of adventurers to keep him safe as he made the journey. The three days of travel go by without an incident, but those familiar with the woods may wish otherwise. The forest has been still, silent, without even so much as a bird’s song to keep you company. It’s as if the forest itself is waiting...

Melvaunt is a city of merchants and metalsmiths. The docks are constantly filled with ships from Hillsfar, Mulmaster, and more distant ports. The northern coast of the Moonsea is an inhospitable place, and its people have a reputation for being rough and unfriendly. But they don’t go around murdering one another in the streets. At least, not usually. Was that a scream you just heard? Part One of The Chaos in Melvaunt.

A handful of would-be adventurers gathers to explore an ancient tomb, eager to trade their discoveries for a ticket to a better life. What they find within presages the advent of the Age of Worms, an era of darkness, decay, and writhing doom. "The Whispering Cairn" is the first installment of the Age of Worms Adventure Path, a complete campaign consisting of 12 adventures, several "Backdrop" articles to help Dungeon masters run the series, and a handful of poster maps of key locations. For additional aid in running this campaign, check out Dragon's monthly "Worm Food" articles, a series that provides additional materials to help players survive this campaign. Pgs. 14-47

You have no friends here What can you do when the Mists deposit you in the city of Lekar? The militia is no better than a gang of sadistic bullies, the citizens are more contagious than a fleet of plague ships, and every foot of public space is covered with corpses of criminals who committed no crime greater than struggling to survive in the oppressive domain of Falkovnia. Danger haunts your every move A secret society of assassins, known only as the Ebon Fold, has been hunting down visitors to Lekar and killing them in a most grisly fashion; all that remains of the victims are desiccated husks that crumble to ash when touched... and you are their next targets. There is no escape When everyone who has befriended you is either dead or hunted by the authorities, you have no choice but to fight back. But the Ebon Fold is a numberless horde whose leader holds sway over death. How can you defeat enemies that won't stay in the grave? They strike from the depths of darkness and steal your life... one dagger stroke at a time. This 64-page adventure can be played independently, or as the opening challenge in the Grim Harvest series that continues with Death Ascendant and concludes with Requiem. Inside the package is a poster map that fully details asll 10 levels of the chilling complex known as the Well of Bones. TSR 9523

Unmerciful is a detective scenario that focuses on roleplay and investigation. It is an event based quest, meaning that things will happen with or without PCs interaction. The DM receives a list with all the murders and details about them, a list of NPCs that are relevant to the case and how, and one of the ways players could track the killer down. A party of any level can be challanged with this scenario and it can be played in any (low) fantasy setting. Adventure Synopsis: The players are hired to find out who has brutally killed Father Marius. After inspecting the murder scene, players can be sure that killer is driven with revenge and that this is only the first murder. Good old detective work brings them closer to the killer, but also to the fact that everything isn’t like it seems. As the body count rises, players must decide whom to aid in the final confrontation, the Church or the Punisher. Published by: Adventurer's Inn

Something strange is afoot within the Quivering Forest. So much so that even the elves of Greenhall have left their homes to seek out help from their newfound neighbors. But, their tales of a strange beast are not earning them any favors; especially among the Vistani, whom the elves suspect are to blame for their ills. Return once more to the Quivering Forest and learn the terrifying truth! Part Two of Misty Fortunes and Absent Hearts.

You’ve come to the wild frontier outpost of Ylraphon, a town rebuilt from destruction and now ruled by adventurers, to pass on a proud noblewoman’s final wish to her dungeon-raiding heirs. Yet the young heroes of House Marsh have delved too deep. Can you rescue them from a trap filled ruin, vengeful assassins, and a mysterious entity that turns its attackers into its defenders? The suggested run time is 4 hours, but in practice needed much longer. Ideal for open ended play. Lots of background information - bordering on too much.

For a thousand years Mezar-Kul has known only war, and now the Overlord reigns supreme. From his gargantuan metal fortress he rules the blasted remains of the planet’s last city. Hope seems lost – until visitors arrive from a distant world, bringing uncanny, magical powers. Your adventurers must pick a path through twisted ruins, ancient missile silos, strange monorail systems, and a conflict with four deadly factions to save a world – or destroy it! Note: This adventure does require that the party have some access to spell casting, whether through an item or class that requires a spell casting roll.